Many different software applications have within them the ability to mark files as “private,” “sensitive,” “protected,” or otherwise make such files hidden from unintended viewing. Examples of such implementations range from the ubiquitous password protection given to Microsoft Word documents, through the gamut of other analogous password-protected graphical and spreadsheet files, down to the complete masking of protected files (e.g., with Palm OS Memo functionality). A security gap exists however, as despite the password protections provided by the relevant applications, human error or casualness about his/her environment may offer unplanned eyes the opportunity to view such files.
Current means of protecting documents, as implied, assume that the file user will save and close the sensitive document rather than permit the document to be inadvertently viewed by others. However, in practice, this dependence upon human consistency falls short as users walk away from their computers, attend to phone calls and other such interruptions, or in the case of handheld devices, “smart phones,” and personal digital assistants (i.e., highly portable devices) forget to re-mask records for conceivably days at a time. When the user walks away from the computer, the opportunity arises for others to view the screen contents. When a user forgets to re-mask records on a highly portable device, its sensitive contents may be viewed by anyone who finds the device. In any of these cases, secrecy is compromised. Whether the information is of a business or personal nature, human inattentiveness has revealed information previously deemed to be of a confidential nature.
Thus, there is a need for a capability to enhancing file security in a computing environment.